[splat-uhs-FEER-ik] adj. The kind of rebound that doesn't go exactly as planned.

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Wednesday, June 20, 2012

An Uphill Battle (Part I)

I liked riding my road bike before I married a ridiculously fit, hard-charging, hill-loving cyclist.Early in our marriage, my then-husband and I tried to make biking an “us” activity.Spending time together doing something each of us enjoyed individually made great sense as a concept. In reality, though, our joint rides made me feel like I was chasing Lance Armstrong in the Pyrenees while mounted on a Big Wheel. Frustration replaced fun and fulfillment quickly (and in that way paralleled the trajectory of the relationship as well) so I abandoned my bike for many months.

Now that I'm on my own again and live within half a mile of three nice multi-use trails, I decided it was time to pick it back up.The idea of climbing aboard the bike again produced some of the same anxieties I’ve experienced when contemplating getting back together with an ex. Would I be welcomed back--no questions asked--and return immediately to the status I held before the hiatus? Or would I have to suffer through a round of punishment before experiencing reunion bliss? I confronted these questions today.

Local meteorologists referred to this morning’s air quality as “red,” a color that is universally understood as a warning.For me, though, this rating system isn't all that useful because I don’t breathe in colors. (I’ve yawned in color a time or two, mainly in college, but those are stories for another post.) I think it's better to describe air breathability in less abstract, more relatable terms. So, as of 6:05 a.m., today's air quality was “mashed potatoes and gravy.” I went riding anyway, setting the table nicely for a splat. [Stay tuned for Part II....]

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About Me

I turned 40 in June of 2011. Shortly thereafter I realized I needed to end my 10-month marriage. Making this decision was difficult --you don't exactly brag about being married a Kardashian length of time-- but the mechanics of executing this huge fresh start (and a whole series of related little ones) proved even more daunting. My attempts to bounce back --both recent and not--haven't always ricocheted off the proverbial wall with the gusto I envisioned. Sometimes they hit it with a resounding "splat" and slide down before landing in a heap on the dirt. This blog chronicles adventures in splats --largely mine but guest splatters will be featured as well--with the hope that the posts will evoke laughter, provoke the occasional thought, and prove that even the messiest ones usually work out just fine. Eventually.

Have You Ever Splat-ted? Tell me about it!

Have a good "splat" story to share? Email me at splatospheric@gmail.com. (Names and other incriminating details can be changed to protect the splatted, of course!) I'd like to write about other people's adventures as well as my own. While I'm vain enough to have started a blog, I have just enough self awareness to know that not everyone will find me as interesting as I do. There's simply no accounting for taste.